Vehicle wheel



July 17, 1923- 1,461,912 A. F. KELLY VEHICLE WHEEL Original Filed March 29. 1.920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I-rzV mm -Ld-H Ada barf}? Jilly 17, 1923- 1,461,912 A. F. KELLY VEHICLE WHEEL Original Filed March 29, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lfivenfor Adelbcrfffg/ A s Attorneys Patented July 17, 11923.

UNlTED STATES;

when trier.

PATENT" VEHICLE WHEEL.

Original application filed March 29, 1920, Serial No. 369,765. Divided and this application filed Decemher so, 1920. serial no. 434,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AnnLBnnr F. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, resident of Spokane, county of Spokane, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring-spoke wheels, and has particular relation to the hubs used in motor vehicle wheels employed in conjunction with such resilient wheels.

The subject-matter of this present application has been divided out of the present ending application of the inventor hereof,

erial No. 369,7 65, filed March 29, 1920.

The invention here shown broadly consists of a novel form of hub structure. It is substantially of what may be termed a skeleton formation providing recesses or sockets into which the spring spokes may be seated while side plates. are provided for closing the open sides of the hub. Means are provided to coact with the spring spokes for holding the same in assembled operative position. An important feature of this in vention is to provide resilient means adja cent the hub periphery yieldingly to resist distortion of the inner portions of the spoke :0 members.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved spoke wheel.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following descrip- 36 tion and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not con fined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings: 1 i v i a Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, with parts broken away, of the novel wheel;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an inside view of the side plat no shown on the right in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an inside view of the side plate shown on the left in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Figure 4:. 5B In this selected embodiment of the invention there are provided a hub, spring spokes and rim. As the spring spokes here disclosed are not herein claimed as novel, they need only be described sufliciently to permit of an understanding of the construction. As here shown the spokes consist of bowed spring leaves 1 arranged in complementary pairs converging toward the hub and having substantially. parallel portions inwardly extending. Eachleaf 1 is pro assembled relation to the hub is here provided and to that endvthe main and reinforcing leaves are provided with laterally alined notches 5. The outer ends of the main spring leaf 1 are preferably mounted upon rivets 6, carried by the rim.

The rim construction, which constitutes the subject-matter of and is claimed in the above-mentioned co-pending application of which the present is divisional, need only be briefly described. The rim consists of a spoke attaching section7 and a reinforcing section 8 rigidly secured to each other in any suitable manner as, for example, by rivets. Portions of the inner section 7 are bent downwardly on opposite sides thereof to form oppositely disposed pairs of members 12 through which the rivets 6 extend whereby the outer ends of the spokes are held.

The improved-hub structure includes inner and outer substantially cylindrical walls 26 and 27. The wall 26' is continuous while the outer or peripheral wall 27 is preferably separated into a plurality of segments in annularly spaced relation. Radial walls 28 extend from the inner wall 26 to the outer wall 27 and thereby form a skeleton hub open at the sides. These walls 28 form sockets into which the main leaves -1 and reinforcing leaves 2 are seated. The sockets are radially outwardly open through the spaces between adjacent segments comprising the outer or peripheral wall 27 and are thus annularly disposed in spaced relation about the hub.

sockets.

-spokes.

The inner portionsof the tvvo yvalls 28. of each socket ,are substantially partallel,--Whi-le the outer portions 29 thereof are'noffsetin complementary pairs ,to provide seats .of dovetail configuration into which maybe disposed a resilient means tending to-retain the straight portions of each spoke pair in normal adjacent parallelism. Preferably this resilient means consists of blocks ofrubher or other material having similar properties. aThelrubber-iblocks; 30, which are-easily replaceable rvhenWorn are inserted-under pressure in5the:h=ub in-orderthat theymay effectuallyaexerta constant force against opposite sides of the parallel portions'of the Ispringispokes yieldingly/to hold the latter centrally inthe radiallyiouter ends of the These blocks "30' erform an addi- ;tional functionin that tiey present rela- -tively i elongated .ra'dial jfELGGS against those "Means are provided A for closing gtlle I open zsidesof; this skeleton hub. Such; means preferably consist of. side plates 31v and 32 which -are preferably in the form of :flat-sided -ri ngs. These side :plates are preferably securedito each other, as by means-of rivets33 :inserted: through. aline'd' holes 2 in: the. compleamentary side plates. The-side iplate '31'is provided With lugs 934:, preferably integral ztherewith, which enter between the socket avalls 281and project into vthe1notches5 of the spring spokes and thereby hold =.the'

spring spokes ;in assembled relation to the hub. i

" 'll-he spring spokes :also have notches *5 x on their sides opposite to that shownzin v:Figure .1 and the Walls '28 are notched .in annular .arcuate. alinem'ent ;-thereWith as indicated at 235. :Sectorsifi are adapted tobe-seated in notcheso and 35.

The plate '32 presents aiplane inner face and vvhen;in-.-.assembled position functions-to hold the sectorsBfidna-their seats. This plate 32 is on the inside of the wheel wvhere it ,is notpossible to encroach onthe space ,necessary -:for the usual bra-ke band and drum. Therefore, sthe difference in 1 construction of the two side plates, so far .as-the integral lugs 34 and the sectors '36 .are concerned, avoids -the e necessity of removing both sides 'Oftlle :hub :for rep'lacementoriepair of the spokes. Thisoonstruction alsoprovides for complete annular registry .ofthe sectors 36 :Wltll the adjacently presented ,notches 1.5 of the SPOkGSflJIldtIlObChGS' 35. of the Walls-28, so thatnnly the flu-gs ea (need be individually fittedstosthezspokesl and sockets. {Ihus,-vvhen removingia spoke it -is merely necessary to take off plate .31 and by slightly. spacing the .hubfrom the plate 32, the sector 36 adjacent the spoke to be removed can be ejected from spokes move vwithinxthc limits permissible through the employment of the resilient blocks 30.

Bosses 39an'd tOare preferably integrally provided on the side plates 31 and :32. These bosses project inwardly from the inner face ofthe side plates and BZLClI-lSsbOIGCl to permit passage itherethrough of r the rivets -83 whereby the side plates are securedito :t-he i. "skeleton 'hub. Ihe bosses :are similareand the configuration of each isz-shown in iFigures '1 and In Figure "l, lll W'lllibGi seen that each boss is shaped to fitiabout the Wfill ,27 and 29. Therefore; When the: sides. :31 and 32 are bolted. or riveted together, :theiplates will not only be heldin place \againstrasizial or lateral melease but "will also be {looked against radial and circumferential: displacementvwith respect to: .the;hub.

Having thus described my. inventionxrv-hat I claim as new anddes re to; secure by .Let-

ters iPatent is E1. A springspoke.wheelhub. SllIllCtllIBqlIlcluding a hub presenting a;plurality of, sock ets disposed thereon in annularly spaced relation, complementary pairs of :opposedly iboWed spring-spokes having inner portion-s extending inwardly through said sookets,

means for securing the inner portion-snf-each pair to said (hub, and resilient means in each. socket yieldingly to resist distortionof :said spoke pairs.

2. A spring-spoke. ivheel hub structure including a skeleton .hub comprising inner and peripheral cylindrical uvalls and rafdiz-allydisposed sets of avalls extending from the inner to the :peripheral all to form spring-spoke sockets opening ,through the latter, SPL'lHgTSPOkQS adapted to be, seated in isaid sockets, means to secure the spokes against axial :and radial displacement, 3

:posed pairs of WlllS extending from -the inner to the peripheral wall, the inner portio-ns of each pair of-radial Wallsibe'ing formed a in adjacent parallelism to j-for'm a constricted channel and -;the outer portions of each pair being spaced apart'to forina peripheral sicket opening through said )peelfrip-heral Wall, complementary pairs of opposedly bowed spring-spokes, the inner portions of each spoke pair being shaped to extend inwardly through a socket and to fit within a constricted channel, meansto secure eacli spoke pair against axial and radial displacement, and resilient means in each socket yieldingly to resist distortion. of each spoke pair.

4. A spring-spoke Wheel hub structure including a skeleton hub comprising inner and peripheral cylindrical walls and radially disposed sets of walls extending from said inner to said peripheral wall toform springspoke sockets opening through the latter,

said radial walls being dovetailed adjacent said peripheral wall, and spring-spokes having portions adapted tobe seated in said sockets, and resilient means seated in the dovetailed sockets yieldingly to resist distortion of said seated spoke portions.

5. A spring-spoke wheel hub structure including a skeleton hubopen at its sides and comprising inner and peripheral cylindrical walls and radially disposed sets of walls extending from said inner to said peripheral wall to form sprin spoke sockets opening through the latter, si e plate'saclapted to be secured to said hub to close the open sides thereof, and means on the side plates to coact With said socket-forming walls to prevent radial or circumferential movement of said side plates with respect to said hub.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of December, 1920.

ADELBERT F. KELLY. 

